The Salmon Route - Sunday October 25, 2009

Took the Maxum out for the first time today since May. Forecast was for rain in the afternoon. Got out at 7am from Oatley. Water was perfectly flat, no wind and no rain to start with. Went out across the bay heading for ocean. Swell was reasonable so went out a bit further than previous. On the way back, stopped in the middle of a maelstrom of fish flopping about, presumably feeding. Big buggers too. Got the rods out and had a bash.. lots of bites but nothing on hook. Followed the pack of what turned out to be salmon. The bubbling water where they fed was overseen by seagulls and pretty soon a small armada of fishing boats surrounded us and began following the pack. All around us people were pulling in fish after fish... big uns, mostly 60cm some as big as 90cm.. but still nada on the good ship Maxum. Luckily a passing fisherman took pity on us, offered some of his lures and some advice on how to bag em. Followed that, got bites but promptly lost hooks and snapped lines in the process of pulling them in. Eventually the same boat came back, admitted they had caught more than they could carry and offered us 2 of theirs.. So all was not lost. Came home with 2 60cm red salmon.. at least I think that's what it is...